Flaws In Concentration
by Mrs Bella Riddle
Summary: As the Dark Lord attempted to teach Bellatrix the Cruciatus Curse, a storm outside was not the only thing that distracted her. B/V


Rain pounded against the windows, coming down in relentless sheets of water from the blackened sky. Just barely heard over the rain was the terrible howling of the wind. Bella forced herself to ignore all of those noises as she focused on the figure in front of her. Bound and gagged with shreds missing from her clothes and congealed blood in her hair, Bella thought the muggle was pathetic. Those feelings were intensified when it looked up at her with big brown eyes and attempted to moan something through its gag. It should have been easy to torture the filth.

It was not.

The storm outside was distracting, but not as much as her body's urges and the thoughts that engulfed her.

The Dark Lord stood close behind her so that, even if they were in the rain, she did not think any water would have been able to slip between their bodies. His mouth was beside her ear brushing her skin with his breath while one hand rested on the curve of her waist and the other cupped her hand idly moving and adjusting her grip around her wand.

"Now, Bella," he hissed silkily into her ear as his grip around her waist tightened in a reminder of his strength. "Cast the curse."

She should have been shaking like a leaf because of the possible fear of failure. Her trembling should not have been caused by trying to put a lid on the desire that raced through her body and the urge to ground back against his body or turn her head just a little to meet his lips with her own.

"Of course, my Lord," she murmured dutifully despite her conflicted thoughts as she raised her wand. "Crucio!"

The flash of blood red light was almost as bright as the lightening that cracked outside the window as it lit the dark room and slammed hard into the belly of the muggle.

The impact was immediate.

The bound slid further into its mouth as it opened its mouth in a muffled scream. Its body and its legs moved up and down as if it was a flailing fish rather than a muggle as it tried to escape the pain.

However, it only lasted a moment.

Bella gasped and shuddered at the display. It was not from disgust, but pleasure as her mouth went dry at the sheer power of her curse. She sucked in the pain emitting from the filth, but, as her own body tensed and then relaxed, her concentration broke. The filth's body sank back down on the ground and it was able to draw deep breaths.

Bella did not have that luxury. Her body tensed even further at the disappointment and possible repercussions of failing. Her eyes lowered, but she refused to rest on her laurels. Raising her wand arm, she was about to strike when thin fingers tightened on her wrist.

"Concentrate." The voice in her ear whispered as her Master once again started adjusting her grip on her wand. "Yes, enjoy the feeling but never allow it to blind you. Focus on the figure. Focus on maintaining the power and focus on how you want the muggle to feel."

She wanted to, though trying to concentrate on keeping up a curse when she had to battle with the amazing sensation of witnessing its power and feeling the Dark Lord so close was almost impossible. It was like being a leaf in the wind and trying to fight being blown away.

However, she could never refuse him or doubt his judgement.

"Yes, my Lord."

Gripping her wand tighter, she focused on the wood under her nails and the brown eyes of the muggle that she wanted to stab out. She blew out one blast of breath before she struck.

"Crucio."

Just like before, the curse connected and the body of her victim tensed and tried to scream. Bella's body tightened and tingled, but she tried to ignore those feelings. She blocked out the wind, the pleasure and the Dark Lord's cool breath. Her dark eyes stared down at the victim as she flailed and screamed.

She laughed. The feeling in her was unavoidable and her own mouth opened like her victim's could not as her high pitched shrieks blocked out the sound of the thunder and rain. She did not even hear her Lord's order to stop until her wand was suddenly yanked upwards and her victim went still on the floor.

Everything was brought back into focus as the lightening clashed outside as if it had been trying to compete with her laughter. She froze. She was suddenly aware of how hard the Dark Lord's nails were gripping her hand and that she had disobeyed him. He must have told her to stop a hundred times, but she had not. She wanted to fall to the ground, but his grip on her hip made sure she could not move.

"My Lord-I – I'm so-" she staggered and stuttered but she was cut off by the impatient stab of his nails through her wrist.

"No apologies Bella." She expected his voice to be filled with anger, but, to her surprise, she could not detect any. "Only praise."

She stopped, yet she did not smile. She only tried to comprehend what he had said.

"Praise, my Lord?"

"Indeed." He adjusted his hold on her and pulled her around so she was staring directly into his dark bloodied eyes. His hand moved up to her face brushing over her neck and running over her well defined cheekbone. "Praise for a wonderful powerful curse."

It was as if his finger pressing on her face forced her to smile. "You are pleased my Lord?"

"Very."

She practically swooned as he leaned in towards his soft voice. He did not turn away. In fact...

Her body froze as he leaned in closer. Her gaze was drawn to his lips. They were a little thin and a little pale, but she swore she had never seen something as desirable as they opened slightly. Before she even knew what she was doing her lips parted and she drew closer.

Since he had started training her, she had dreamed of this moment a hundred times. She had thought about how his lips would feel against hers. Cool and clinical they would meet hers. They would be firm and passionate. His tongue would massage her soft flesh and slide into her mouth. She would allow him that. She would never deny him as he would press her into the wall as she would open to him in every way.

It would almost feel like she was something more than a servant.

As her breath stopped his lips drew closer and closer.

Then they stopped.

They curled upwards into a smirk and suddenly they and his whole body pulled away.

Bella's uneven breathing did not stop as she still leaned forward and almost fell face first onto the ground as her eyes stared at him wide and unbelieving.

"That is all from today," he said his voice cold and clinical like nothing had happened. "You are excused."

She had never wanted to defy him so much as at that moment. She wanted to grab him and kiss him with all the passion that engulfed her body.

It was difficult to stop herself from acting, but she did.

"Yes, my Lord," she murmured her voice softer than usual as she turned and left his home.

The storm was still raging outside as the buckets of water soaked through her robes. Her body shivered and her hair and robes rippled around her, but still her eyes shone.

Nothing could quench the longing that roared through her like fire.

* * *

Voldemort smirked to himself as his bloodied eyes watched the crack of lightening light up the sky and pierce through the rain. It was powerful and for that he appreciated the symbolism.

He enjoyed all kinds of power.

He enjoyed watching Bella quiver in his arms and almost fall to the floor in her desire for him. Her enjoyed dangling what she desire and having the power to pull it away.

That was power.

He supposed he might grant her desire, but only if it meant he still had one thing.

Power.

* * *

**A/N:** This fic was written for the 'Almost Kiss Competition' and the 'Scenery Competition' which had to use the quote "Rain pounded against the windows, coming down in relentless sheets of water from the blackened sky. Just barely heard over the rain was the terrible howling of the wind."


End file.
